Missing link is a race between two teams going from point A to point B by creating human chains.

There are two teams of approximately 8 people each, who compete against each other to reach the finish line. Each team gets an equal route that they have to follow. On the route there are marked objects which can be streetlamps or other poles. The teams have to move from marker to marker. This is done by building a human chain starting from the next marked post. One half of the team begins at the start point by holding each other’s hands. The other half makes a human chain, reaching for the rest of the team, from the chosen marker. Players try to fill the gap between the half-teams by convincing bystanders to line up for a moment in the human chain. Once the human chain is completed, the team can begin making a new chain, starting now from the newly ‘conquered’ post. The team repeats this as often as necessary, until it reaches the finish line.

Each team also gets 3 cards, which stand for an additional post. When a team arrives at a place where the distance between two marked posts is too long, or there are not enough pedestrians around, the team can use a card to halve the distance between the two posts. Each card can be used just once, so use them wisely!

The first team to reach the finish line wins.

Mapije de Wit
is the founder of Mapije Fun Design. In 2011, she completed a degree at HKU University of the Arts Utrecht in the area of interactive performance design and games. She is active primarily in designing play actions in the form of interactive installations, games, guerrilla actions and interactive theatre.